Just a while ago, Rojin bought Kaya a water pouch. He might not know it, but that water pouch instantly became one of her most valuable items. It was the first thing Rojin bought for her and her first new gift from anyone; she usually have pass-downs or used items for gifts from Lady Domo, Ani, or Doji.
Maybe we can have hope.
Hope for what?
For this Rojin.
He’s making Kaya so happy.
I’ve never seen Kaya so happy.
Kaya, are you happy?
For sure she’s happy.
Look at that clear mind!
Well, I’m happy that Kaya’s happy.
We all are, Kaya. We all are.
Now they are eating at a food place a couple feet from the store. Rojin bought her some chicken noodles, two fried meatballs dipped in sweet and spicy sauce on a stick, and a plate of 5 rice cakes. For a minute, Kaya was sure that she won’t be able to finish it. But in the end, all she have left are just 3 rice cakes.
Yup, we can have hope now.
But I still haven’t receive my ice cream…
Forget that.
Didn’t you see that bowl of noodles?
That bowl of chicken noodles!
No… those meatballs got me.
They were the best alright.
Yeah, right!
That plate of rice cakes were the best!
So full!!!
Kaya giggled at the voices. She haven’t seen them this happy before. The happiest she seen them was when Lady Domo told her to take a day off from cleaning the resting place because it was her birthday. Kaya doubted it that it was actually her birthday, just a day Lady Domo made up. But it made the voices happy, so she was happy as well.
Hey, Kaya?
What happen to that Rojin?
“Rojin?” Kaya asked the voices and herself. She haven’t been paying attention to Rojin after he bought the food. Then she remembered. “He went to talk around.”
Talk around?
He’s talking to… a what?
Is he just talking in a circle?
Oh! Because of around!
Kaya knows that the voices knew what she meant because of their mysterious lifestyle inside of her head, always wise and always saying more than Kaya’s knowledge, but sometimes the voices act dumb for her.
She sighed, but smiled at the voices’ silliness. “He’s a peace bringer, or whatever Lady Domo said. He goes around and spread news and words to people that he travel pass. It’s a way to bring warning or just happy news. It’s also a way to extract more news or trade news and other things, magic or spells or whatever bringer people trades.”
She knows that the voices knew because she never learnt this from anyone, she got it from her own head, from the voices.
Oh!
That talk around.
Wait…
Rojin’s a bringer?
I don’t believe he’s a peace bringer...
He don’t look like one.
Don’t sound like one either.
Don’t act like one either.
Don’t move like one either.
“What are you guys trying to say?” Kaya asked. It’s hard trying to keep up with the voices sometimes and all the new knowledge are more than hard to understand sometimes, especially when she’s actually trying to follow and understand them.
Kaya… listen.
Rojin isn’t a good person.
He may look like it.
Sound like it.
Act like it.
Move like it.
But he isn’t it.
He is not a good person, Kaya.
“But he bought me - us - food,” Kaya reasoned. “The rice cakes are proof.”
Kaya, listen.
You don’t even know a lot about this Rojin.
“His name isn’t even Rojin.”
And he might not even be whoever he said he was.
“Lady Domo trusted me to him,” Kaya felt anger bubbling inside of her. It was a usual thing that she gets angry at the voices, but this is the first that she’s angry at them directly and not their existence.
Lady Domo… don’t know this man well.
This man, Kaya, through Lady Domo’s eyes, is a peace bringer and a regular at her place.
This man, Kaya, is different from any person Lady Domo might’ve thought he was.
This man, Kaya, is no normal man.
This man, Kaya, is dangerous.
Kaya remembered that the voices said that before, when they first met Rojin.
Kaya…
The voices are begging now.
This man is not a peace bringer.
He’s a spy.
A Shiwon.
An assassinator!
Kaya always listen to the voices, though she does recognize that the voices don’t lend toward her safety but theirs. Still, she listens to them because they always save her from danger. Yet, she felt wrong to listen to the voices now.
No, Kaya.
Please don’t do that to us.
Please…
He might be kind.
But that’s not who he really is.
Kaya…
He didn’t even buy us ice cream…
Suddenly a heavy wind swept by and overturned Kaya’s reminding rice cakes. There was no anger, there was no sadness, Kaya wasn’t feeling anything. It was one of those few times when Kaya feels nothing.
Kaya…
Kaya!
It’s a whirlpool!
Stupid, there’s no whirlpool.
It’s a wind-pool!
Idiot, it’s a hurricane.
Guys…
There is no hurricane.
Not here, never here.
The voice are doing it again…
Then what is that.
A wind storm?
… They are using knowledge never known to Kaya.
… that is not a wind storm.
It’s a technique.
It’s the wind blade!
“What are you guys talking about now?” Kaya asked after not following.
Run Kaya!
It’s dangerous!
Dangerous ringed in Rojin to Kaya’s mind. “Where’s Rojin?”
Why does that matter?
Let him be, Kaya.
And run!
This is very dangerous!
Kaya stood there, not knowing what to do. She realized soon enough that at this minute she have to make a very important decision.
Kaya!
Just run for it!
The wind blade will kill you!
Kaya thought, Rojin was dangerous, according to the voices, but he bought her a water pouch and a very good lunch. He piggybacked her to this place and didn’t even eat until she ate. From the time spent with Rojin, he isn’t dangerous at all. But the voices don’t lie.
Kaya, don’t go look for Rojin.
He isn’t someone to interact with!
Kaya, listen to me!
Please, just run away.
You’ll get yourself hurt!
We don’t want you hurt!
“I don’t care,” Kaya said and her voice surprised her. She never heard her own voice so strong and confident before. Knowing that she made her final decision, she said, “I’m looking for Rojin,” before dashing to where the danger is.
To Kaya, it made sense. If Rojin was dangerous, then danger is where he will be.